The Journey of Morocco's Women's National Football Team On 26 April 2006, Morocco made their first ever final in the
2006 Arab Women's Championship, defeating Egypt 4–2 in the semi-final. They lost the final 1–0 against
Algeria.
Milestones in Moroccan Women's Football On 22 February 2020, Morocco lionesses managed to win the
2020 UNAF Women's Cup after defeating Algeria 2–0 to top the final standings. After hiatus and lack of achievement, the Women's AFCON was expanded to 12 teams, starting from 2020, but due to
COVID-19 pandemic, the first edition was held in Morocco
2022 instead. Using this home advantage, Morocco restarted its women's football structure, rebuilt its women's team that has long been neglected. With greater interest, Morocco was able to create history by reaching the semi-finals in their home soil. With this achievement, Morocco made a history as the first Arab country to qualify for the
FIFA Women's World Cup, debuting in
2023. Morocco went on to make another historic chapter as the first
North African and
Arab country to participate in the final of a continental tournament by beating African powerhouse and three-times defending champions
Nigeria on penalties. However, Morocco could not finish its dream in the final after losing to an experienced
South African side, whose two goals crushed the Moroccan dream to win the title.
Evolution of Women's Football in Morocco In their first ever
FIFA Women's World Cup, Morocco qualified to the knockout stages after placing second in their group, losing their first match 6–0 to
Germany and winning both their second and third match 1–0 respectively against
South Korea and
Colombia. This made them the lowest ranked nation to qualify for the knock-out stages. In the game against South Korea, Moroccan player
Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to play in a World Cup match wearing a
hijab. Morocco ended their journey in the Round of 16, after losing 4–0 to
France. On 12 October 2023, Spanish coach
Jorge Vilda was announced as the new head coach of the Moroccan women's team. On 14 November 2023, Morocco was nominated for the 2023 Best African Women's National Team of the Year by
CAF. In the
2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco qualified to the knockout stages after finishing top in the group stages winning 2 matches and drawing one. They faced
Mali and claimed a 3–1 victory. In the semi-final, they defeated
Ghana in a penalty shootout. In the final, Morocco lost 3–2 to Nigeria, marking their second consecutive defeat in a WAFCON final. == Nicknames ==